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The Brilliant Mr. Feynman
Episode 576
What happens when an existentially depressed and recently widowed young physicist from Queens gets a fresh start in California? We follow Richard Feynman out west, to explore his long and extremely f…
Published on 1 year, 10 months ago
How the San Francisco 49ers Stopped Being Losers (Update)
They’re heading to the Super Bowl for the second time in five years. But back in 2018, they were coming off a long losing streak — and that’s the year we sat down with 49ers players, coaches, and ex…
Published on 1 year, 10 months ago
The Curious Mr. Feynman
Episode 575
From the Manhattan Project to the Challenger investigation, the physicist Richard Feynman loved to shoot down what he called “lousy ideas.” Today, the world is awash in lousy ideas — so maybe it’s ti…
Published on 1 year, 10 months ago
574. “A Low Moment in Higher Education”
Episode 574
Michael Roth of Wesleyan University doesn’t hang out with other university presidents. He also thinks some of them have failed a basic test of good sense and decency. It’s time for a conversation abo…
Published on 1 year, 11 months ago
5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing (Replay)
We all like to throw around terms that describe human behavior — “bystander apathy” and “steep learning curve” and “hard-wired.” Most of the time, they don’t actually mean what we think they mean. Bu…
Published on 1 year, 11 months ago
573. Can Academic Fraud Be Stopped?
Episode 573
Probably not — the incentives are too strong. Scholarly publishing is a $28 billion global industry, with misconduct at every level. But a few reformers are gaining ground. (Part 2 of 2)
SOURCES:Ma…
Published on 1 year, 11 months ago
572. Why Is There So Much Fraud in Academia?
Episode 572
Some of the biggest names in behavioral science stand accused of faking their results. Last year, an astonishing 10,000 research papers were retracted. We talk to whistleblowers, reformers, and a co-…
Published on 1 year, 11 months ago
571. Greeting Cards, Pizza Boxes, and Personal Injury Lawyers
Episode 571
In a special episode of The Economics of Everyday Things, host Zachary Crockett explains what millennials do to show they care, how corrugated cardboard keeps your food warm, and why every city has a…
Published on 1 year, 11 months ago
570. Is Gynecology the Best Innovation Ever?
Episode 570
In a special episode of People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt talks to Cat Bohannon about her new book Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution.
SOURCE:Cat Bohannon, resea…
Published on 2 years ago
569. Do You Need Closure?
Episode 569
In a special episode of No Stupid Questions, Angela Duckworth and Mike Maughan talk about unfinished tasks, recurring arguments, and Irish goodbyes.
SOURCES:Roy Baumeister, social psychologist and vi…
Published on 2 years ago